Keeping track of the fleet

G-VROS is now scheduled to depart LHR on Wednesday 28th October for LAS, time TBC

G-VLIP is currently having 'The Falcon' livery removed at CQM and will be adapted for cargo for Atlas Air.

So G-VROS, G-VROY, G-VROM and G-VLIP will all be joining Atlas Air in the coming months.

G-VSXY (Beauty Queen) has been put back into storage at Doncaster, having undergone maintenance in Dresden. She flew back late yesterday afternoon.

[mitchja]

How many A/C do VS have stored at Doncaster now?

Having those A/C sat on the ground in this country for around 6 months so far can't be doing the airframes much good!

I read elsewhere that 3 ex-Thomas Cook A333's that have been 'stored' at MAN for just over 12 months now are apparently already in no fit state to ever fly again and so are having to be broken up on site.

How many A/C do VS have stored at Doncaster now?

Having those A/C sat on the ground in this country for around 6 months so far can't be doing the airframes much good!

I read elsewhere that 3 ex-Thomas Cook A333's that have been 'stored' at MAN for just over 12 months now are apparently already in no fit state to ever fly again and so are having to be broken up on site.

I thought all of the stored aircraft at DSA moved to MAN a few months ago?

The three ex-Thomas Cook A330’s reportedly had no buyers and they’re just over 20 years old (they were originally bought brand new by Airtours), so combined with being stored in the damp Mancunian climate for the last 12 months racking up huge parking bills and given recent events, it’s no surprise they’re being scrapped. At least VS send their aircraft stored at MAN on periodic test flights. It’s a reminder why airlines send planes to the desert for long-term storage.

Suppose the question is who those large parking bills go to?? There was nobody to keep them airworthy, there was nobody to undertake additional test flights so I suppose they were just assets for the administrators to account for, now those assets will be realised in scrap value at least.......

As for the DSA question, indeed all the stored a/c at DSA moved away, mainly to MAN as #VS075 said.....but they're coming back!

The current situation from what I can make out from various sources is....

A332's
G-VLNM at Manchester since 24/07
G-VMIK at Manchester (test flight on 09/10)
G-VWND at Manchester since 17/06 (also undertook a test flight on 09/10)
G-VMNK at Dusseldorf since 19/08 (now off-lease?)

A333's
G-VKSS at Ciudad Real since 05/07
G-VLUV at Manchester since 20/10 (ex Ciudad Real)
G-VRAY at Manchester since 23/10 (ex Ciudad Real)
G-VWAG at Ciudad Real since 14/07
G-VSXY at Doncaster since 26/10 (ex Dresden)
G-VGEM at Doncaster since today 29/10 (ex Ciudad Real)
G-VINE at Ciudad Real since 23/05 (undertook test flight on 21/09)
G-VNYC at Manchester since 26/05 (undertook test flight on 18/09)
G-VUFO at Ciudad Real since 22/06 (undertook test flight on 13/10)
G-VGBR at Manchester since 07/08 (ex Doncaster)

G-VROS departed LHR in the last hour, heading to LAS and a future with Atlas Air...

G-VROS.....

G-VROY (Pretty Woman) is back at Heathrow

Couple of additional bits....

G-VWAG is back in the UK, in storage at DSA having flown in from Spain on Friday.

G-VTEA (A350-1041) is scheduled to be delivered into Manchester on Friday 27/11 ex Toulouse after completing its acceptance flight on 13/11, it will become Virgins 7th A350

MAN must be getting quite full... 7 x 333, 3 x 332, 2 and soon to be 3 x 350 and XLG?

I wonder why the other 2 new 350s arent in service yet, must be content with just using what they have

G-VGAL has just arrived back at LHR from CQM
She is scheduled to leave next Tuesday for Arizona
G-VLIP will return to LHR at the start of next month and scheduled to leave for Arizona on 9/12
G-VROY is scheduled to leave LHR for Arizona on 16/12
G-VXLG will visit LHR in January

Information out today suggests that all the Virgin 747s will join Atlas Air in the US.
Great news if so!

G-VROS.....

G-VLNM flew Manchester-Dresden yesterday.

Is this another one going off-lease or for maintenance?

G-VGAL is currently over Canada on her way to Las Vegas

G-VTEA has been delayed and is now scheduled to arrive into Manchester on Friday 04/12. It flew its 10th test flight on 25/11 from Toulouse.
G-VINE moved from Ciudad Real to Dresden on 11/11 for maintenance and was due back today (28/11) but that flight was cancelled.

Looks like it'll be "one in, one out" for A350's stored at MAN as G-VDOT is due to ferry down to LHR today. Presumably this is so it can be prepared for an entry into service very soon?

Looks like it'll be "one in, one out" for A350's stored at MAN as G-VDOT is due to ferry down to LHR today. Presumably this is so it can be prepared for an entry into service very soon?

Are VS ramping up flights following the end of Lockdown 2.0? Still no flights for VRNB as yet.

In other news three ex VS 747's have been assigned new registrations, VROM becomes N481MC, VROY becomes N482MC and VROS is going to be N483MC. These three are set to stay in pax configuration with Atlas Air.

From the TAS Manchester site....

VXLG due to leave Manchester on Thursday...the last VS747 departure from the airport?
VTEA due to arrive on Friday
a 789 due to arrive from LHR for the commencement of service to Barbados on Friday too

G-VLIP is back at Heathrow from Ciudad Real

I saw a video of VLIP taking off from CQM on the VS Twitter feed.

How was the falcon livery applied? Seems somewhat redundant to remove, reapply the VS logo and then send it a new owner? Unless it was some sort of “wrap” akin to ad campaigns on other forms of transport... intrigued!

[mitchja]

I saw a video of VLIP taking off from CQM on the VS Twitter feed.

How was the falcon livery applied? Seems somewhat redundant to remove, reapply the VS logo and then send it a new owner? Unless it was some sort of “wrap” akin to ad campaigns on other forms of transport... intrigued!

I suspect the the falcon livery was only temporary. On the pic on VS’s blog here you can clearly see the edges of the artwork which I guess was just covering the existing livery.

I saw a video of VLIP taking off from CQM on the VS Twitter feed.

How was the falcon livery applied? Seems somewhat redundant to remove, reapply the VS logo and then send it a new owner? Unless it was some sort of “wrap” akin to ad campaigns on other forms of transport... intrigued!

I suspect the the falcon livery was only temporary. On the pic on VS’s blog here you can clearly see the edges of the artwork which I guess was just covering the existing livery.

Ah cool. A VS employee on Instagram confirmed it was just a vinyl covering too.

Thanks!

[mitchja]

There’s a pic of G-VLIP showing the falcon artwork partial removed here.

G-VXLG is leaving MAN shortly. If anybody wants to watch a video, a page on YouTube and Facebook called Airliners Live is livestreaming the departure as we speak.

Once gone, that will bring an end to nearly a quarter of a century of VS 747 ops and presence at MAN.

G-VXLG is leaving MAN shortly. If anybody wants to watch a video, a page on YouTube and Facebook called Airliners Live is live streaming the departure as we speak.

Once gone, that will bring an end to nearly a quarter of a century of VS 747 ops and presence at MAN.

At least she's not gone for scrap, she will still be flying

[mitchja]

G-VRNB has gone into service today as the VS131 LHR>BGI.

G-VRNB has gone into service today as the VS131 LHR>BGI.

I was lucky enough to be onboard. It did have that new plane feel to it. Trip report to follow...